Observational Study
by FoxPhile
Summary: Walter finally decides to take Paige out on a date. He takes Toby's advice on how to go about it. Not his best move.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Observational Study**

 **Summary:** _ **Walter finally decides to take Paige out on a date. He takes Toby's advice on how to go about it.**_

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **/scorpion**_ **. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit and no infringement of copyrights is intended.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies. ~ Dorothy Allison_

* * *

Walter eased the blue Malibu around the curved drive and parked alongside the walkway, as close to the building as he could get.

"Um, Walter. I don't think we can park here." Paige's head was swiveling on her shoulders as she observed the nearly empty parking lot and grounds. "Are you sure this place is even open? There's no one here." She turned a questioning look at her companion.

The genius wasn't feeling very much like a genius in that moment. He cut the engine and sat staring, unfocused, at the instrument panel. "I can't do this," he muttered.

"Do what?" Paige asked. "Walter, what's going on; you're acting really strange."

He turned then to face her. The waning light of dusk softened her features. Walter had been aware for some time that he found his team liaison aesthetically pleasing, but he couldn't remember a time when he'd been so struck by her beauty. For a moment, he was unable to answer, partly because he was committing the image of her in the twilight to memory, and partly because he felt guilty about the ruse he used to lure her here.

"I…um…I lied to you."

Paige sat silently beside him, looking confused. Walter continued, speaking fast as he blurted out his confession. "This is all a trick and if you want to forget all about it, I'll understand and I can take you home, but this was Toby's idea and I just figured he must know something about this since he and Happy are together now, even though from what I heard he made some really stupid mistakes before they got together but it all worked out, so I thought I should take his suggestion and it seemed like it was working ok, but I just don't feel right lying to you."

He was beginning to feel lightheaded so he stopped and took a deep breath, during which Paige placed a hand on his arm.

"Walter, you are not making any sense at all. What did Toby tell you to do and what are you lying to me about?"

Staring down at her hand, Walter took a few more deep breaths. He raised his eyes to look into hers and tried his best to explain something he didn't really understand himself. "Toby said that I should pretend that I was bringing you here to help you learn more about Astronomy, since Ralph loves it so much. He said that would take the pressure off; that neither of us would be nervous this way. But lying to you about this is making me so nervous I don't think I could tell Cassiopeia from the Big Dipper. So it's obviously not working and I should just take you home and we should both pretend this never happened."

"I still don't understand what _**this**_ is. What are you lying about?" Paige repeated.

"It's a date," Walter mumbled.

"A what?" Paige gasped.

* * *

 **Authors Notes: Short, I know; but this will be about 4 or 5 chapters, so there's more to come.**

April 10, 2016


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Observational Study**

 **Summary:** _ **Walter finally decides to take Paige out on a date. He takes Toby's advice on how to go about it.**_

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **/scorpion**_ **. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit and no infringement of copyrights is intended.**

* * *

Chapter 2

 _Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real. ~_ _Iris Murdoch_

* * *

" _It's a date," Walter mumbled._

" _A what?" Paige gasped._

Walter released his seatbelt so he could turn completely and face the woman who was his teammate. Maybe he should call a cab to take her home? After his explanation and another apology, the long ride home might be too uncomfortable.

"Would you like me to call you a cab instead?"

Paige inhaled deeply. Walter recognized this as something she sometimes did when Ralph did something that exasperated her. He thought he could almost see her lips move as she silently counted to ten.

"Walter….Patrick….O'Brien! Would you stop skipping ahead and explain to me how this is a _date_?"

The words were spoken in a quiet, calm voice. Walter suddenly realized one reason why Ralph was so well behaved. There was a promise of retribution underlying that voice that he had no intention of testing.

"After…well, after Linda and I decided we should just be friends, I thought for a while of reengaging with the speed dating group; but as you know, repeating an action and expecting a different result is…well…it isn't very smart."

Looking down, the genius spied a stray thread in the seam of his jeans. He began to toy with it as he continued his narrative.

"This may um… seem surprising but um… aside from the times Linda was pretending to enjoy our association, I've never had any luck with dating or um… any sort of um… romantic activities. I decided to approach the problem with a bit more scientific…" The thread broke and Walter flicked it off his finger, belatedly realizing that he'd opened a small hole in the seam. He brushed at the area with a fingertip, then clasped his hands together in his lap to avoid any further nervous destruction of his wardrobe. "…more scientific means. I created a chart of every date or romantic encounter I've ever had, going all the way back to the time Mary O'Connor kissed me in the back of the classroom in primary school."

Paige giggled at that. Walter looked up and smiled. Somehow, if Paige was amused he felt he didn't have a reason to be nervous anymore.

"After reviewing all this data…"

Paige snorted.

"It's more than you might think," he protested. "I'm not Toby, but I haven't been a monk, either!"

Paige hid her grin behind her hand and nodded, indicating that he should continue.

"After reviewing the data, I came to the conclusion that I've only had one such encounter that I can remotely consider successful. So I decided that, if I wanted to have any sort of interpersonal connection with another person, I should pursue the person with whom I had that encounter, and determine if that success was simply a statistical aberration, or indication of a sincere attraction."

"I see," Paige mumbled, all trace of humor vanished. "So you're going to get in touch with this person and give it another try, I guess? I still don't see how that connects to us being _here_."

Feeling suddenly emboldened, Walter reached over and took one of Paige's hands in his. He gently stroked a thumb along the lines of her palm. "That one encounter, Paige? That was the night we got back from our trip on the weather balloon. You could hardly call it a date; but it was certainly…uh…romantic and…uh…quite successful."

"But…but you said… you said your attraction was nothing but a vestigial something or other from cavemen!"

"A vestigial affectation from cavemen, based on the symmetry of your face; but I…. I lied then, too."

"So on the occasion of the only successful romantic encounter of your entire life, you lied?"

Walter sat silent. Paige's eyes grew suddenly wide.

"So the only… the only successful romantic encounter… of your entire life was… was _**me**_?"

* * *

April 17, 2016

 **Author's Note** \- After the ending of 2.23 _Chernobyl Intentions_ , I thought the Waige community could use something a bit less frustrating. I know this chapter may not fully satisfy, but I promise, Chapter 3 will be up soon and I think it will soothe the Waige shipper frustrations.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Observational Study**

 **Summary:** _ **Walter finally decides to take Paige out on a date. He takes Toby's advice on how to go about it.**_

 **Author's Note:** **Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who has reviewed or followed. Your reviews are like sweet cream in my coffee - I love them! There will probably be about 2 or 3 more chapters to this, and I'll try to update every few days. I also have some long overdue prompts to get to.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **/scorpion**_ **. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit and no infringement of copyrights is intended.**

* * *

Chapter 3

 _Dignity - The moment you live your dreams, not because of what it will prove or get you, but because that is all you want to do. ~ Shannon L. Alder_

* * *

" _So the only… the only successful romantic encounter… of your entire life was… was_ _ **me**_ _?"_

Walter nodded. "I seem to approach success in this area with a pattern of lying. I uh… I should probably work on that."

"But why the big ruse?" Paige asked.

"Despite what I said at the time, the kiss was quite successful; but I still had never managed a successful date with anyone. I realized that on every date I've ever had, I was nervous and uncomfortable, which led to clumsiness and um… unfortunate choices of conversation… among other difficulties. Since nervousness is a behavioral issue, I consulted Toby. His recommendation was to arrange a date that would not be perceived as a date. He was quite helpful in coming up with the entire subterfuge. But then I found I was more nervous about lying to you than I'd ever been while actually on a date, so I determined the best course of action would be to confess the sham and… and accept whatever retribution might result."

"Retribution?" Paige turned and faced the window for a moment. Walter noticed her shoulders were shaking slightly. He'd expected anger. He wasn't prepared for tears, since he couldn't recall ever seeing Paige cry, regardless of the many times she'd had ample provocation. When she turned back, he saw the glistening lacrimal fluid in her eyes. He also saw the broad grin. Had she… been laughing?

"Walter," she began, unable to completely suppress a giggle. "Why don't you tell me what we're really supposed to be doing tonight and I promise, if you want me to go on this date with you, I'll say yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

Walter glanced at his watch. "I um… we should actually probably get going or we'll be late," he said. "I'll tell you more about it on the way." He proceeded to open his door just as Paige turned in her seat to face forward and pulled at the seatbelt to refasten it. Noticing, Walter reached a hand over to stop her. "No. Our date really is here."

"But they're obviously closed, Walter. I'm sure we can find something else to do."

"They are closed," he countered, "to everyone except us." Walter stepped out of the car and walked around to the other side. Seeing that she was still engaged in gathering her purse, he was pleased to give Paige the gentlemanly treatment on their first date by opening the door for her. When she was nearly standing, he belatedly took her hand to offer his assistance. He ruefully realized he should have brushed up on the behavior expected of a gentleman on a date. Was it even proper to open the door for one's date, or was that now considered antiquated? If Megan were still alive, she could have provided much better advice than Toby. He pushed that thought away. Thinking of Megan, even in a happy context, could still cause the sudden return of grief and he wasn't willing to risk that tonight.

After he closed the door, he continued holding her hand, guiding her up onto the walkway and towards the terraces behind the Observatory. He smiled, realizing that, if nothing else, assisting Paige had given him an excuse to take her hand and hold it as they traversed the grounds.

"A little while ago I did some work on the statistical analysis programs they use here at the Griffith Observatory," he told her excitedly as they made their way past the astronomers monument. "They're usually closed on Mondays, but since the Board owes me a favor, they agreed to allow me to set up a private dinner on the terrace. Later we'll get a private showing in the planetarium, followed by some time at the telescopes in the observatory itself. It'll be much better than anything we can view using the telescope on the roof at Scorpion."

* * *

The sun was descending quickly as they reached the terrace. Paige gasped at the view of the city laid out beneath them. The lights of three parallel highways stretched into the distance, appearing to meet at the horizon. Turning, she could see the illuminated HOLLYWOOD sign towards the east. It seemed to float in the darkening sky. She'd been surprised when Walter did not immediately release her hand, but now she disengaged in order to run to the railing, wanting to absorb the breathtaking view.

Walter wandered over to one of the observation binoculars, and soon gestured for her to join him. "You can see the garage from here," he told her, indicating that she should look through the lens of the device. Obediently, she took a peek, and smiled. She could just make out the rooftop of the building. It was lit up and she wondered if the others were having another impromptu party. She was surprised that even Walter managed to locate the garage so quickly in the sea of buildings that was Los Angeles. Standing up carefully, so as not to jostle the instrument, she froze momentarily when she realized that her date was standing closer than she could ever recall him being. Adding to his unusual proximity, his left hand was resting lightly on her hip. She could feel the warmth of his arm through the thin silk of her blouse, just at the small of her back. She turned slowly, and looked up into his warm eyes, the color of rich, dark coffee. She was only inches from him, and she swallowed, not sure if it was wise to press Walter, but wanting nothing more than to crush her lips to his.

They were completely alone, on a clear autumn evening, with the lights of the city behind them and the illuminated building providing an enchanted setting. A soft breeze was blowing, and Paige shivered. She wasn't sure if it was the coolness of the evening air or the charged atmosphere. It was the most romantic moment she had ever experienced.

"Walter," she began, embarrassed to note that her voice came out more like a croak than the sultry whisper she'd been going for. She cleared her throat and started over. "Walter, that kiss… the successful one?"

"Yeah," he answered, and nodded briefly.

She watched as he licked his lips, but she wasn't sure if he was anxious… or excited.

"Do you think, maybe… we should… repeat the experiment?"

He nodded. "I think…we'll… have to… at some point," he agreed.

"Uh… no time like the present?" She cocked her head, hoping that for once, Walter O'Brien would get the hint.

He did. After a moment's hesitation, he leaned forward, closed his eyes and gently laid his lips on hers. The hand that had moved to her back when she turned drew her towards him as he brought his other hand up, combing his fingers through her hair until he cradled the back of her head, steadying it so that he could exert more pressure on her mouth. She opened her lips and sighed, as her own arms came up to encircle his shoulders, one hand raking through the short hair that she suddenly wished he hadn't just had cut. She'd dreamed of running her fingers through the riotous curls he had when they first met.

This was nothing like the frenzied intensity of their first kiss. It was gentle, loving, and sweet, but there was undeniable passion, too. Paige could feel the slight tremor that shuddered through Walter's muscles, matching the excited quivering of her own. He tightened his arms and she felt as if their bodies were liquid; molding together in a warm, fluid pairing of hip to hip and chest to chest. She felt when his own lips parted and he tentatively grazed his tongue over her bottom lip and across the tops of her teeth. Meeting this intrusion, she lightly fluttered the tip of her own tongue against his, then teased him with a light nibble on his lower lip.

Suddenly his arms, his hips, his mouth were all gone and she nearly stumbled at the lack of support.

Opening her eyes, she saw Walter about five feet away, bent over with his hands on his knees.

"Oh boy," he whispered.

* * *

April 17, 2016


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Observational Study**

 **Summary:** _ **Walter finally decides to take Paige out on a date. He takes Toby's advice on how to go about it.**_

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **/scorpion**_ **. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit and no infringement of copyrights is intended.**

* * *

Chapter 4

 _Passion will move men beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures. ~Joseph Campbell_

* * *

"Oh God, Walter," Paige cried. "I'm so sorry. It's… it's too soon. I should have realized."

Walter waved a hand as he righted himself and took several deep breaths.

"I should have let you set the pace." She pivoted, embarrassed to face him. Staring, unseeing, at the entrancing vista, she smacked a hand on the stone, oblivious to the stinging scrape it caused.

Walter shook his head to clear it and moved up behind his date. Gently, he placed his hand against her back, stroking awkwardly where moments before he'd been gripping tightly. He tried to organize his thoughts…no his _**feelings**_. He could no longer claim to not have them. He needed to explain to her, make her understand that even when he shied away from this… even when he was scared to death… he _**wanted**_ it more than he'd wanted anything in his life.

"I… I don't want you second-guessing when… what we do," he murmured. "And I don't want you waiting for me. I promise you, Paige, if you want to kiss me… or…" he paused, wondering just how much he should say. He'd woken more than once from dreams wherein they were intimately engaged, but perhaps Paige wasn't ready to think about that yet. How could he let her know that he needed her to lead them to wherever they would go? She was turning to face him, he needed to say something. "…or if you want to do… other things… I promise I want to kiss you and… whatever… just as much."

"Whatever?"

She had turned to face him and was practically in his arms again. He still had one hand on her shoulder and all he needed to do was raise his other arm. Even as he thought about it, the arm in question rose of its own accord and rested gently about her waist.

"Whatever," he affirmed. "I should explain," he began, still wondering just how to do that. "You know that I'm not comfortable with physical contact."

Paige nodded. She was standing stiffly, with both arms firmly down at her sides. It was incredibly awkward, but Walter knew she wouldn't make another move to touch him until she understood.

"It's not a phobia, although it may seem that way. With most people, it's simply that I'm not capable of the sort of emotional relationship that physical contact represents. I don't feel anything. So to engage in hugging and that sort of thing seems somehow… counterfeit… to me."

He gently drew her in, hoping she would take the hint. She didn't hesitate to come closer, but she still kept her arms down. He sighed.

"With you, just now, it's not that I didn't feel anything." Walter took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't sound overly dramatic. "It's that I felt so much that it got to be overwhelming. There was too much to process all at once. I felt like I needed to stop so that I could analyze it all. I… imagine… that most people don't analyze those things very much, but for me… my brain… I just feel compelled to analyze everything. When the input comes in too fast I have to stop."

Walter fell silent. Right at this moment he was aching to kiss her again, but something told him he needed to wait; to allow the woman he was holding to process what he had said. He hoped she would give him some indication that she understood. She hadn't pulled away, but she hadn't relaxed either.

"Do you think," she suggested, "that you might be able to just tell me when you're feeling overwhelmed?"

Finally, she hesitantly raised a hand to lightly finger the small curls at the base of his neck. It actually tickled a little, but Walter was far from laughing.

"I think I can… most of the time," he promised before quickly adding, "I also think things will get better when I get more used to this." Then, he indulged his desire and once more laid his lips on hers, pulling her close so that he could feel the curves of her body against his. The feelings were as intense as they'd been before, but this time, he recognized them. He was able to conveniently file them away in the appropriate slots in his mind and his memory. There was a flood of sensations coming in from all quarters, but the pathways had been built. He could enjoy the sensations without needing to suddenly stop the flow of information.

It felt truly amazing. He'd kissed women before, starting with Mary O'Connor and moving through a few half-hearted dates fueled more by an awareness of societal expectations than any real desire or attraction. He'd even had one or two casual girlfriends before Janice, the one who made him swear off women once and for all. Until Paige. None of those other kisses had inspired any desire to do it again.

His thoughts then pondered the irony of breaking up with his last girlfriend and deciding he simply wasn't meant for a romantic relationship on the very same day he met the woman who would change all that. The attraction… the _**feelings**_ … for Paige started on that day, inspired in part by her amazing devotion to her gifted son, Ralph and her readiness to do whatever he needed – even if it meant going to work for a possibly crazy pack of geniuses.

Walter wondered for a moment if other men had thoughts like these while kissing a woman. He knew that he had an uncommon ability to compartmentalize his mind, so he imagined it was unlikely. It didn't matter. He was fully aware of the activity in which he was engaged. Paige uttered a throaty moan and Walter took that as a signal. He'd been sweeping his tongue gently over her lips, tangling with hers and lightly sucking. Now he pressed deeper, endeavoring to fill her with him. He lowered his hand to grasp a tight buttock and pull it closely against himself. He wasn't hard. Not yet. But he knew he would be soon if they continued this activity. That was another thing he'd experienced before, but never with the sort of anticipation he had now. Despite the relative privacy of the deserted promenade, he felt it wasn't appropriate to allow things to go further. He pulled away, surprised at his own reluctance, and brought his arms up to Paige's shoulders in order to allow some distance between them. He was fairly sure it was inappropriate to suggest carnal relations on their first date. Perhaps he should research what the standard timelines for such things were. For now, it might do to feed his other appetite.

"Maybe we should go get dinner?" he asked. Feeling what must certainly be a goofy grin on his face, he leaned over once more and kissed her lightly, noting that there was a trace of redness around her lips. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. The Observatory only allows catering by one company – some fancy outfit run by a German guy. I hope you like what I picked. Trust me, it's not Kovelsky's."

* * *

April 22, 2016

* * *

 **Author's Notes** – Since this was started before the season two finale, **Toby Or Not Toby** , things may be diverging a bit from canon. I think it's feasible that this date could be taking place shortly after whatever happens in Lake Tahoe, but we won't know for sure for about five months. I'm not willing to wait that long to finish this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Observational Study**

 **Summary:** _ **Walter finally decides to take Paige out on a date. He takes Toby's advice on how to go about it.**_

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **/scorpion**_ **. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit and no infringement of copyrights is intended.**

* * *

Chapter 5

 _Admire elegance and have an appreciation of the finer things in life. But… beauty lies in simplicity. ~Mark Hyman_

* * *

Walter and Paige walked hand in hand from the promenade area to the terrace area. It was fully dark, but few stars were visible due to the lights that lit the building and grounds. A single table awaited them, dressed elegantly with a snowy damask tablecloth, candles, silver and crystal.

As soon as they sat, a server appeared with a selection of appetizers. Paige wasn't sure what any of the dainty looking morsels were, but the server patiently described each of them and she chose three that sounded appealing. In fact, they were delectable, and truly served to whet her appetite for the next course.

Throughout the meal, the two talked and laughed. Unlike every other first date she could remember, there was no awkwardness. Paige realized that was because they were already good friends; had known each other for nearly two years. It also surprised her since Walter had been so nervously awkward until the moment they kissed.

The meal itself was sumptuous, consisting of a selection of small servings of a variety of dishes. Paige recognized that the theme of the meal was diner fare, and she smiled to think that Walter was honoring their first meeting in that way. One dish was a miniature PB&J sandwich, with almond butter and currant jelly in place of the more mundane peanut butter and grape. There was a small cheeseburger made with duck and served with a helping of crispy French fries with a cheese fondue. Nearly stuffed, Paige determined to try at least one more dish and had to decide between a basket of fried langoustines and the white eggplant parmesan. She chose the former and enjoyed the succulently sweet little morsels of seafood. Just when she thought she couldn't eat another bite, the server appeared with a perfect banana split and two spoons. The half-size baby bananas were dipped in chocolate and nuts before being heaped with three flavors of rich, soft ice cream, whipped cream and three cherries marinated in a cherry liquor. As a final sweet treat, two small paper cones of delicate cotton candy were placed on the table, supported in matching silver holders bearing the emblem of a scorpion.

"We can take these with us," Walter explained. "I wanted to have a… um… a memento for our first date. You can use it for a pen holder on your desk…or… or maybe you might find a use for it at home."

Paige laughed. "Walter, I love it! But isn't this all a bit extravagant? Don't get me wrong, I love that you went to all this trouble, this is probably the most memorable date I've ever had; but you don't have to impress me." She delicately pinched a bit of the pink spun sugar, pulling off a fluffy piece and popping it into her mouth, licking her sticky fingers as the sweetness melted.

"I didn't do all this to impress you," Walter insisted. "Well… some of it is. Not really to impress you so much as to… to make this a… a memorable evening. But to be… to be honest, this is mostly for me."

"For you?" Paige sipped her water, wondering how she was going to be able to get up from the table. Everything had been so delicious and despite the fact that each serving had been just a few bites, the cumulative effect was still a feeling reminiscent of the sort of overindulgence associated with a big holiday meal. Maybe she could suggest a walk after the meal to help ease the overstuffed feeling.

Walter ducked his head down, concentrating for a moment on his own bit of cotton candy. When he looked back up, Paige noted a tinge of pink in his cheeks. He was blushing?

"I haven't had the best of luck with dating. The thought of asking you on a date… there was risk involved. I was… reluctant… to venture into this realm, at which I've been disastrously unsuccessful in the past, without doing everything possible to… to minimize that risk."

Walter took a sip of his water, then seemed to do something with his hand under the table, his arm was moving in jerking motions. Paige assumed it was some sort of nervous twitching. She wished he would relax. He was here with _her_. It was just _them_. She understood there was risk. The euphoria of starting off in a relationship would wear off and they would be left with the day-to-day work of keeping it good. Paige felt it was worth the risk. Apparently, Walter was not so confident.

"After some analysis and review of my past experiences, I hypothesized that the environmental factors inherent in the typical first date contributed to my… to my nervousness… escalating the issue and resulting in unfavorable outcomes."

Walter looked down, a sudden expression of distress crossing his face. He brought his hand back up from under the table, and placed his napkin beside his plate, resting his hand on top of it, before picking up the knife he hadn't used and twirling it between his finger and thumb. Paige could only hope that with time, he would become more comfortable discussing things with her. For now, she knew she needed to wait patiently for him to express his thoughts.

"I determined," the genius continued, "that the crowds typically found in restaurants, paired with the inherent noise, might represent the most significant contributing factor, aside from the anxiety associated with the event itself. I therefore considered that eliminating the crowd issue might reduce the problem. So I looked for a way to have a date where we would be nearly completely alone, yet not in an environment that would suggest a premature level of intimacy."

Paige smiled. She was having a difficult time not expressing how humorous it was that Walter was approaching this like a scientific undertaking. She didn't think he'd been so methodical about his work on the rocket. She supposed she should be flattered, and she was.

"So was your um… hypothesis… correct?" she asked, curious if Walter was any less nervous on this date than on previous ones. If so, she could only imagine his previous difficulties.

"I believe so, yes," Walter nodded enthusiastically.

Paige sucked the last bit of sugared sweetness from her thumb and forefinger, noticing that Walter's eyes became fixated on the action. She couldn't help herself; she accentuated the activity. She allowed her eyelids to drop just slightly while she closed her lips over her finger, drawing it out slowly. She resisted the urge to swirl her tongue around the digit, knowing that would be a little _**too**_ obvious. It was just such fun realizing that she could tease him a bit. It was something she'd wanted to do for months.

Walter stood suddenly, thumping the table and nearly tipping over his water glass. He reached out just in time to avoid spilling ice water everywhere.

"I um… I think it's about time for us to head to the planetarium," he announced.

Paige nodded, placed her napkin on the table and scooted her chair back so she could stand. She stepped over towards Walter, and the two walked back over to the narrow promenade walkway. In the full dark, the view of the Los Angeles skyline was stunning, even without the binoculars. Paige paused a moment to take it in.

Walter walked on a few steps when she stopped, but then he turned back and stood close beside her. Their shoulders were nearly touching and she could feel a tiny puff of warm air as he whispered her name next to her ear.

"Paige?"

She tore her eyes away from the blinking lights. If she were with anyone other than Walter O'Brien she'd comment on the romantic aspects of the location, the breezy autumn evening and the view. Although he'd made tremendous strides, Paige didn't think Walter was quite ready for the concept of romance. But if tonight was any indication, perhaps it was an innate talent.

Paige turned her head slowly, reluctant to dispel the moment, but expecting to be reminded that they needed to get to the planetarium. In the months she'd known him, the former waitress had seen many things in Walter's eyes. Concern and fear in times of peril had been there all too often. Satisfaction on a case successfully concluded was thankfully frequent as well. Anger, bitterness and betrayal were there on occasion. She'd also seen love; love for all the members of Scorpion and a special love for Ralph that made her heart warm whenever she caught it. She was sure she'd sometimes seen love for her, as well; something different from the love he felt for the others. Love that burned with a greater intensity – an intensity that she knew scared him as much as it thrilled her. Now she saw something she'd never seen in his eyes in quite this way. It was hunger. For a moment, the part of her mind that was learning to think literally, as most of the denizens of Scorpion did, thought he couldn't possibly be hungry after that meal. It wasn't that sort of hunger, though, and it sent a shiver through her that found its center in her belly and shot tingles of warmth up into her brain.

"Walter?" she queried, surprised at the tiny catch in her voice.

A moment later his hands were on her shoulders and he propelled her back against the wall. As soon as she felt the solid structure behind her, Walter braced his hands on either side of her, swooped in and crushed his lips to hers, his tongue immediately urging her to grant access. She parted her lips and accepted him, wondering incongruously if she should ask Sly to calculate the odds of being kissed passionately by Walter O'Brien three times on their first date. She was certain Toby would bet against it, if Toby were still gambling, which thankfully he wasn't.

Aside from their experiment nearly a year ago, it had been years since Paige had been kissed like this. She was surprised to realize she felt as flustered as she had been as a teenager, unsure of what to do with her hands, even as her mouth seemed to understand the game plan quite well. She nibbled eagerly on his lower lip. That was something she loved to do and Walter's lip was particularly appealing. She brought her hands up to his chest, sliding up and over his shoulders. Once again, her fingers found their way into the curls at his neck; that was their happy place. Her thumbs on either side could feel the pulse in his arteries; or was that her own heartbeat? She leaned back against the wall, allowing her head to fall back just a bit so that he was forced to lean forward to maintain contact. His hands were still braced against the wall; he wasn't touching her with any part of himself except those lips and she was loving it. She wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him in a more comfortable position, like sitting on a couch – or lying in a bed. It amazed her to think that she might find out, and probably very soon gauging by the vigor he was currently applying to the task.

Walter lowered his arms and nearly stumbled into her as he settled his hands at her waist and drew her closer. Within seconds they went from a single point of contact to a full body press. She heard herself moan a little when he left her mouth and moved across her jaw, leaving little nips in his path to her earlobe, which he sucked in momentarily. Then he was licking up along the outer edge, circling around until he thrust his tongue directly into her ear and she nearly jumped at the sudden desire that shot through her. Where in the world had he come up with _**that**_ and why had she never known about it?

Paige twisted and squirmed, delirious with the sensations that warm, thrusting tongue was provoking. She suddenly wished she _**was**_ a teenager again, making out with her boyfriend in a secluded spot with no responsibilities and few inhibitions. A small part of her brain was reminding her that although the area seemed deserted, there were undoubtedly a variety of employees still on the premises. If this went on much longer clothes would be removed and she really didn't want to be caught _in flagrante delicto_. At best, it would be embarrassing. At worst, it could jeopardize their work with Homeland.

"Walter," she panted, realizing as he nibbled her earlobe and worked his way down to suck concertedly at her neck that the breathless tone had only incited him.

"Walter!" she hissed again, moving her hands down to his chest and gently pushing him away.

Moving slowly, and seeming somewhat dazed, Walter lifted his head and turned his eyes to hers. He brought a hand up to gently stroke the ear to which he was apparently so devoted.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"Walter… it's…it's wonderful but we can't do this here," Paige whispered urgently.

"Why…. oh!" he exclaimed. "Oh…um… I'm sorry I… oh boy!"

"Walter O'Brien," she laughed, "you are certainly a man of few words!"

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April 30, 2016


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Observational Study**

 **Summary:** _ **Walter finally decides to take Paige out on a date. He takes Toby's advice on how to go about it.**_

 **Authors Note: This is the last chapter of this story. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and followed and favorited. The response has been wonderful and has really inspired me to keep writing** _ **/scorpion.**_

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own** _ **/scorpion**_ **. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit and no infringement of copyrights is intended.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 _You can't blame gravity for falling in love. ~Albert Einstein_

* * *

Walter led Paige around the promenade to the back entrance into the Observatory. Passing through an exhibit room, they came to the central rotunda where Paige spied the rest rooms. Walter decided a quick stop would be wise before they started their program, but when he came out, Paige was not around. He stood watching the pendulum for a few minutes before he heard her heels clicking against the tiled floor.

"What's so fascinating?" she asked as she came up beside him.

"Oh… the pendulum. Its swing remains constant while the earth turns below it." He pointed to one edge of the well. "You can see that every few minutes, it knocks over one of those pegs because the pegs are moving with the rotation of the earth."

"Huh," she remarked. "Uh-oh, there goes another peg!" She pointed excitedly as the pendulum neatly knocked over the next peg in the circle. "I guess it takes 24 hours for it to get all the way around, then."

"Yep," Walter beamed. "The pendulum is kept in motion by a magnet."

They watched the pendulum for a few more moments before continuing up a short stairway into a gallery lined with photos of planets and deep space objects.

"They really are beautiful, you know," Paige commented while examining a print of nebula. "If you didn't know better, you might think these were abstract art."

"I think you're right," Walter teased. "I made something that looked a bit like that on the Paint-a-Whirl machine at the Kilkenny Fair when I was about 8 years old."

Paige turned to playfully swat him on the shoulder, then kissed the spot and laid her head against it. "You've never really said much about your childhood in Ireland. Sometime, when you're comfortable, I'd like to hear more about it. If I'm not mistaken, I think I detected a teeny bit of Irish accent there."

"I suppose it does come back a bit when I think about…about home," Walter mused.

"Do you still think of Ireland as home?"

"No, not at all, really," he responded as he turned them around and led the way to the Planetarium entrance. "I stayed with my parents for a few months after Cabe found me, but it became too difficult, even with the computer he provided, to transmit my code securely. Back in the Nineties internet service on a small farm outside of Callan was not the best. By the time I was thirteen, Cabe brought me to the States and arranged for me to stay with the family of another FBI agent. One of the first things I was determined to do was adopt an American accent. I found that, although people thought my accent was "cute" or "charming", they also somehow thought it meant I was stupid."

Paige was completely silent. Looking over at her, Walter thought he saw sorrow in her eyes for the young boy he'd been. He wasn't completely sure. He still had difficulty reading emotions from facial expressions, but he was better at it with Paige than with most. "Don't be upset," he said. "It doesn't bother me. Within a few months you would never have known I wasn't born right here in the USA. By that time most of the people I was around were the government people I was working with, and they were not under any misconception about my intelligence."

"Didn't you go to school?" she wondered.

"No. It would have been inefficient. The government paid for me to study independently with professors from various universities. I got an excellent education, although I don't actually even have a high school degree."

They entered the planetarium, and were greeted by the presenter, who urged them to take a seat, reminding them that they would be in near total darkness once the show started. With their pick of locations, Paige suggested they sit along one of the aisles, four rows up from the center. Walter agreed and they took their seats. Within moments the lights dimmed, then went out, and a pale light glowed from all around the circular wall. The presenter explained that the light represented the horizon, and they would be viewing the sky as it would appear from Los Angeles if there were absolutely no city lights to disrupt the starlight. He joked that their only hope of seeing the sky this way outside the Planetarium would be a total blackout of the entire Southwest and Pacific Coast power grid. He went on to explain a bit about the projector and other equipment used to create the show.

Stars began to twinkle along the horizon and overhead.

"Over to the right," the presenter began, "you can see the constellation of Perseus."

Lines appeared between the stars and were overlaid by the figure of the Greek Hero, holding the head of a woman, snakes writhing up his arm.

"Perseus was in love with Andromeda, the beautiful daughter of the Ethiopian king and his wife, Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia was very proud and boasted that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids, the sea nymphs. This angered Poseidon, the god of the sea, and so Andromeda was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to the sea monster Poseidon sent to punish the Ethiopian king and queen. Perseus killed the Medusa and used her head to turn the monster to stone and rescue his beloved princess."

More lines appeared, with overlaid figures.

"Andromeda is located just below Perseus, while Cassiopeia is off to the side, probably a good position for a meddling mother-in-law."

Paige laughed and Walter felt her take his arm and lean her head against his shoulder. He smiled, glad she was enjoying the show he'd designed with the Planetarium's director.

Suddenly the sky overhead appeared to spin and a new set of lines appeared, superimposed with the figure of a harp.

"Lyra appears on the other side. This constellation represents the lyre played by Orpheus, who sought to bring his lady love, Eurydice, back from the land of the dead."

The presenter continued, telling stories of various constellations, mostly related to mythological tales of love and adventure.

"Walter," Paige whispered. "This guy is such a romantic. Every constellation he's talking about has some great love story behind it."

"Well, it's not him, actually, it's Sly," Walter responded. He wondered if Paige could sense the blush that was warming his cheeks. "Do you remember that he created a projector to display the stars on the ceiling of Megan's room at the hospital?" He felt, rather than saw her nod. "Sly told me that they would sit at night and she would tell him about all the love stories up in the sky. It seemed…. It seemed the sort of thing that might be nice for a… for a date."

"Walter," Paige murmured. "In future I suggest you should pay more attention to Sly's dating advice and less to Toby's."

Walter felt Paige snuggle closer, her arm wrapped around his. Their fingers were entwined. He wasn't entirely sure when that happened, but he found it pleasant. He was annoyed with the armrest between their seats. He would have liked a greater degree of body contact than seemed possible.

As the presenter continued with his stories, Walter felt his arm being raised. What in the world was Paige doing? Before he could ask, she had lifted his arm up and draped it across her shoulders. Then she leaned over so that her shoulder was nestled under his arm and her head was lying on his shoulder. He understood they had been thinking along the same lines and he tightened his arm to bring her just a bit closer.

Acting on a sudden impulse, Walter turned and quickly placed a light kiss on Paige's head, breathing in the light almond scent of her hair. He was a bit amazed at himself. This was only their first date and he'd already kissed Paige more often in one evening than he'd kissed any one woman before her, other than his sister, although he didn't think his sister really counted in this context.

While he was pondering this he realized that Paige was returning the gesture, only she wasn't stopping with a single kiss. She started by kissing his neck, then working her way up his chin to his ear, which she licked teasingly. He wondered what was causing this sudden surge of libido in two people who, prior to this evening, had gone months or years with little or no such activity. He realized the darkened room gave a sense of privacy, but there was still the presenter to be considered.

Then he felt Paige's hand on his thigh. She was gently squeezing just above his knee and working her way up when she discovered the small hole he'd made in the seam of his pants when he'd pulled the thread earlier. The hole was just big enough for her to insert a finger and begin lightly stroking the skin of his inner thigh while she continued to delight his ear with her tongue. He squirmed. He needed to find a way to remind this woman that they were not alone and this sort of thing was not appropriate in public. But it felt SO good. He really didn't want her to stop. In fact, it was all he could do not to wrap his other arm around her and drag her across the armrest into his lap. Then he would start his own exploration of her chin and her throat and perhaps even work a few of the buttons on her blouse open and nuzzle his way down to her…

Walter jerked back, dislodging Paige's teeth from his earlobe and pushing her back towards her seat.

"I'm…I'm sorry. Was that too much? Are you okay?"

He heard the questions as if he'd been asleep and was just coming awake.

"It's fine. I'm fine. I… Paige, how is it that we have barely touched each other for all these months and now suddenly just because we're on a date we can't seem to control ourselves. I was about to… well… you don't want to know what I was thinking."

Paige laughed; the sound coming from just inches away. She must have moved back to her former position. "I think I'd be _**very interested**_ in what you were thinking," she breathed. "As to the other, we've kept these feelings bottled up for a long time. It's not surprising that things get a little crazy once they finally get out."

Walter's eyes were adjusting to the dark, so he knew when Paige pulled away and sat straight in her seat. She reached over and took his hand, clasping it gently on top of the armrest.

"You're right, though, we really shouldn't be going at each other like this here. It's not like we won't have plenty of time to… explore that part of our new situation." She sighed dramatically and laid her head back on his shoulder. "I promise to control myself if you will."

Walter turned and once again kissed the top of her head. "I'll do my best," he promised.

* * *

After the Planetarium show, the director came down and led the pair up to the Observatory, where they spent an hour looking at real stars. Paige was almost sorry that Ralph wasn't with them, and hoped that Walter might be able to arrange another night when all three of them could enjoy this special treat.

On the drive home, Paige asked several questions about the objects they'd viewed. She wanted to be sure she would have plenty of details to tell Ralph about her evening at the Observatory. She also wondered how her son would react to the change in her relationship with Walter. She didn't think he'd be upset about it. On the contrary, she suspected Ralph might make premature assumptions about just how far the relationship might go and how fast. She knew Walter was a surrogate father for her son; she needed to be sure Ralph didn't immediately assume that now that she was dating Walter he would become the boy's father in fact. Drew would never give up his parental rights so even if their relationship eventually became formalized, there was little or no chance that Walter could become Ralph's father legally, assuming he would even want that.

As Walter pulled into the entrance to her condominium complex, Paige gathered her things, making sure that her silver scorpion cup was tucked safely in her purse. Walter's was in the glove compartment and she made a note to check and be sure he brought it inside when she got to the garage the next morning.

They were proceeding slowly past the rows of cars; Walter was turning his head repeatedly.

"Walter, you can just drop me off like you usually do. You don't have to park. It's nearly impossible to find a spot this late on a weeknight."

"But I…" he began, then he quickly turned the steering wheel and glided the Malibu into an empty space. "I um… I want to at least see you to your door. I'm supposed to do that if we're on a date. And besides…I… I would like to… to maybe kiss you goodnight."

The genius ducked his head and Paige marveled that a thirty something man could seem so endearingly innocent – especially after what had transpired on the promenade. In the months that he'd persistently resisted, she'd wondered if his aversion might be linked to some traumatic experience, or that he simply did not feel attraction or desire. She was glad he'd explained things to her, and equally glad to discover that his libido, although it might have been dormant for a long time, was apparently alive and kicking.

"Oh… okay," she agreed and proceeded to exit the car. They met on the walkway and he took her hand, walking slowly toward the door to her building.

Paige realized they would need to proceed carefully, being sure to communicate often and frankly. She also knew she would need to be sensitive to any sign that he might be overstimulated, and not take any move on his part to pull away or slow down as a slight to her personally. It wouldn't be easy, but she felt sure it would be worth it. She recalled the day in the diner when they first met. There had been a moment when she realized he was staring at her. She'd been explaining to her boss why Ralph liked to play with the condiments. She'd glanced up, and although he'd looked away immediately she knew he'd been watching. She'd also been struck by a sudden feeling that this man, whom she barely knew, was going to play a major part in her life. She still didn't understand where that feeling came from, but it had been undeniably true.

Walter followed her up the stairs to the second floor. Paige stopped in front of her door, and turned. It seemed important to Walter that the social conventions of first dates be observed, so she smiled and told him "I had a wonderful time tonight, Walter. I really enjoyed myself. Thank you for a lovely date." Then she got her keys out and turned to unlock the door.

Walter touched her hand to stop her. "I um… just in case Ralph is still awake I should… um…" And then his lips were on hers and his arms were around her. She nearly dropped the keys as he drew her to him, pressing her body close to his. She groaned with frustration. One hand was holding her purse and she had her keys in the other and neither could reach up to grip his head or finger his hair. She couldn't even wrap her arms around him properly or she would dig the keys into his back.

"Mmm…Mwaa…Walt…" she mumbled against his mouth. Walter pulled back, but kept his arms firmly in place.

"Hmmm?" he asked.

"Ralph is… Ralph isn't here," she blurted out. "He's over at Tyler's tonight. They're having a sleepover."

Walter seemed confused. "Ralph isn't home?" he asked, as if that was an incomprehensible development.

Paige shook her head. "No, he's not. I don't usually allow him to have sleepovers on a school night, but its Tyler's birthday, so I figured I could make an exception. After you told me about this astronomy idea, it sort of worked out well, since I didn't know how late we might be out."

Walter relaxed a bit, but kept his arms loosely on Paige's hips. "So… you'll be here…by yourself… all night?" he asked.

Paige smiled. It might take him awhile, but it seemed that Walter was learning. "I will be… unless you'd like to come in for a while… or… for the night," she suggested, hoping she wasn't moving things too fast.

Walter smiled. Then he grinned.

Paige unlocked the door and walked inside, Walter O'Brien following close behind.

 **THE END**

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May 1, 2016


End file.
